Australia in the Indonesian Confrontation

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Malaysia
Surnames/tags: Australian_Army Australia Royal_Australian_Air-Force

this page expands on a section of the Australian Army page

Contents 1 Background 2 Australia in Confrontation 3 Sources 4 See also

Background

The Indonesian–Malaysian Confrontation (also known by its Indonesian/Malay name, Konfrontasi) was a small but violent conflict from January 1963 to August 1966 that stemmed from Indonesia's opposition to the creation of Malaysia. Malaysia was the amalgamation of the Federation of Malaya (now West Malaysia), Singapore and the crown colony/British protectorates of North Borneo and Sarawak (collectively known as British Borneo, now East Malaysia) in September 1963. Singapore soon after left the federation and became a nation in its own right. Since the Second World War, the United Kingdom was divesting herself of her colonial possessions, especially those in South East Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific. However, Indonesia (the former Netherlands East Indies) believed the federation represented a British attempt to maintain colonial rule behind the cloak of independence granted to its former colonial possessions and was set on destabilising Malaysia in the hope of picking up the territories herself. Important precursors to the conflict included Indonesia's policy of confrontation against Netherlands New Guinea (West Irian) from March–August 1962 and the Brunei Revolt in December 1962. The confrontation was an undeclared war with most of the action occurring in the border area between Indonesia and East Malaysia on the island of Borneo (known as Kalimantan in Indonesia).

Because of the sensitivity of the cross-border operations, which remained secret at the time, Confrontation received very little coverage in the Australian press.

Australia in Confrontation

Two infantry battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR and 4RAR), two squadrons of the Special Air Service Regiment (2nd Squadron SASR and 3rd Squadron SASR), a troop of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals, several Royal Australian Artillery batteries (including A Field Battery, 102nd Field Battery and 105th Field Battery), and parties of the Royal Australian Engineers were involved in Borneo. Ships of the Royal Australian Navy served in the surrounding waters and several RAAF squadrons were also involved in Confrontation.

Australian units that fought during Confrontation did so as part of a larger British and Commonwealth force under British command, that included troops from New Zealand. Before you get your hopes up though, they were never considered to be ANZACs and that revered term has never been used in terms of Confrontation. The Confrontation was the last time Australia sent forces to support a British military operation.

Australian casualties were twenty-three killed, of whom seven were killed in action and nine died of wounds. In August 1966, there remained two Australian soldiers missing and presumed dead, both from the SASR (expected to have drowned while crossing a swollen river).

Four RAR officers were awarded the Military Cross (MC) and three enlisted RAR men the Military Medal (MM).

Sources

See also

• Australian War Memorial: Indonesian Confrontation, 1963–66; accessed 20 Dec 2022.
• Dennis, P and Grey, J. Emergency and Confrontation: Australian military operations in Malaya and Borneo 1950–1966, The Official History of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1975, vol. 5. Allen and Unwin, Sydney, and the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1996.
• Wikipedia: Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation; accessed 20 Dec 2022.